The present invention relates to zippers, and more specifically to a top stop and zipper teeth arrangement for a zipper, which prevents the slide from being jammed in the teeth when pulled downwards.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show the arrangement of a top stop on a zipper tape according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,193. According to this invention, the top stop comprises an upper stop block and a lower stop block. The lower stop block is connected to the first tooth of the row of teeth at the zipper tape. The upper stop block is spaced from the lower stop block at a distance. This top stop design enables the slide to be conveniently inserted through the gap between the upper stop block and the lower stop block into engagement with the zipper tape. However, because the lower stop block is disposed between the upper stop block and the row of teeth, the inside partition wall of the slide tends to be jammed in the lower stop block when the slide is pulled downwards from the upper stop block to open the zipper.
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a top stop and zipper teeth arrangement, which eliminates the aforesaid problem. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a top stop and zipper teeth arrangement, which prevents the slide from being jammed when pulled downwards to open the zipper. According to one aspect of the present invention, the top stop is a solid stop block formed integral with the longitudinal side rib at the zipper tape at one of the series of teeth on the zipper tape, having a sloping bottom edge smoothly inwards and defining with the topmost edge of the first tooth of the row of teeth on the zipper tape a gap through which the slide of the zipper is inserted into engagement with the zipper tape, and the first tooth of the row of teeth on the zipper tape comprises a stop wall portion at a top side of a neck thereof for preventing the inside partition wall of the slide from being moved into engagement with the neck of the first tooth when the slide is pulled downwards to open the zipper. According to another aspect of the present invention, the downward bottom projection of the top stop is suspended in the transverse distance between the back side edge of the base of the first tooth and the longitudinal central axis of the longitudinal side rib of the zipper tape, and the base of the first tooth has a sloping top edge sloping downwardly backwards toward the back side edge thereof for guiding the slide into position when the slide is inserted into the gap between the sloping bottom edge of the top stop and the topmost edge of the first tooth and turned into engagement with the zipper tape.